Short Term Fostering
Refers to a temporary placement, where foster parents support a child for a specific period, whilst decisions are being made in relation to their long-term care. This may be a return to parents or wider birth family, onto adoption or into a long-term fostering arrangement. Short term foster parents work in partnership with children’s families and involved professionals and contribute to the assessment of the child’s longer-term needs.
Long Term Fostering
In cases where assessments conclude that a return to parents or to wider birth family is not appropriate and neither is adoption, children and young people will need a long-term fostering placement where they can be supported until they reach adulthood.
Short or Planned Break Fostering
This type of fostering is a regular or one off, pre-arranged care provision for a child or young person. This could be to support family or an existing fostering placement, where it has been assessed as appropriate and necessary. Short breaks promote new opportunities and experiences for children to develop additional relationships and allow parents and carers the opportunity to spend time with other children in the family or to rest and recharge.
Parent and Child Fostering
Parent and child fostering provides a supportive and supervised environment where parents are offered guidance and helped to develop their parenting skills, so they can provide good enough care to their child. Foster parents will work in partnership with professionals involved with the parent and child and are expected to contribute toward the assessments of parents.
Therapeutic Fostering
Therapeutic fostering is a more specialist placement for children who have experienced significant neglect or trauma and would benefit greatly from therapeutic care. Working in partnership with the Family Place and incorporating the Fostering Together model, specifically designed to support transitions from both residential other fostering provisions
Welsh Early Permanence
Where there is a high chance of a Court outcome of adoption, identified children can be placed with prospective adopters under fostering arrangements till the conclusion of Court. Further information can be found here detailing the roles and responsibilities associated with this kind of adoption placement.
